Process of fusing and purifying copper.



W. S. ROOKEY & H. ELDRIDGE.

PROCESS OF rusme AND PURIFYING COPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 27, 1911.

1,018,681. Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

! i I v I To all whom it may concern:

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER s. nocxny AND mnnmnr renames. or new YORK, n.1, assrenons 'ro METALLURGICAL RESEARCH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF TORY.

ARIZONA. TERM- Be it known that we, WALTER S. Rooney and HILLIARY ELDRIDGE, citizens of the United States, and both residing at New York city, in thecountyof New York and "State of New York, have invented certain scribed, be fused by and m-th'e heat and. flame which are produced b. .the combus new and useful Improvements in the Process of- Fusing and Purifying Copper, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Our invention relates to thefusing of copper, and more particularly to the fusing of cathode copper.

The object of our invention is to fuse copperv on a large commercial scale, and to puri the copper from impurities which are asorbed by it in the fusing operation when fused in a chamber which is exposed to the furnace gases and products of com bustion.

. Cathode copper is an electrolytic product of great purity, high electrical conductivity, but low tensile strength which is due to crystallization by electrolysis during manufacture. When fused under proper conditions this crystallization is destroyed b the fusion, and tensile strength attained. athode copper after manufacture must be fused so as to be cast into various forms for commercial uses, which require purity, electrical conductivity and tensile strength.

The. combination of carbonaceous fuel with oxygen which is termed combustion,-

produces several compounds which vary in their properties, and whose reduction are incidental to the character 0 the fuel used;

One of these which is an invariable and certain product of carbonaceous combustion;

is carbon monoxid CO. It'is obvious-that should the cathode'copper, previously detion of carbonaceous fuel, an exposed during the fusion to the action of atmospheric oxygen which siijp orts the combustion, that copper oxid w0 be formed by the union of a percentage ofthe oxygen with a per-:-

centage of the molten copper.

That the co per is contaminated during" fusion is yell own bythose skilled in the art of co per refining, and it is generally believed t at the contamination is caused bycopper oxid (termed sub-oxid) bein present inthe copper, hence the aim an intent Specification of Letters Patent.

I Application filed February 27, 1911. Serial No. 611,188- 7 Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

of the well-known process of purification by treatment with carbon, isto reduce the copper oxid with carbon assisted by auxiliary treatment known as rabbling and po'ling which process is actually and ,primarily a reduction of copper carbonate to copper oxid by carbon, and then a reduction of the copper 'oxid to co per by carbon.

We have found that If proper conditions are established the fusing and refining of copper and particularly cathode copper can be successfully accomplished by the simultaneous se aration of the vapors and ases such as C 2 or G0, etc., from copper y a process of volatilization, and treatment of the copper in anatmosphere of nitrogen, and by gravity, as hereinafter explained.

The vapors and gases as formed, volatiliz ing, rarefying and ascending upward and outward with the furnace gases, and the copper descending by gravity as fused; thus simultaneously separating as the fusing of copper and the formation of the vapors and gases proceeds. The establishment of proper conditions, which are essential for carrying out this process of-separation, is founded on two simple natural laws. First,

that volatile substances, vapors and gases when heated become more or less rarefied in exact proportion to the temperature employed, and will escape by the path of the least resistance, and ascend and pass out of a furnace or chamber having an outlet.

Second, a molten 1i uid substance will flow in its own gravity ownward and outward i an outlet" is provided for it to flow through.

To carry out-our process we first provide a suitable furnace,.preferably a fuel oil fur- 'nace which is constructed intwo compartpartment wall and each separatel heated.

ments eachvdivided from the other by a com- Refferring. tothe drawings which form-a in which we may carryout our process.

be melted is fused. 1

near the bottom of the chamber B and b means of which the co per is fused.

vE,indicates the fuse part of this specification, the-figure discloses i a longitudinal sectional vview of a furnace A'indicates the furnace which s provided" -with a chamber B in'which the 'copperjC copper which passes, under the wall' Fand flows-thi fough a guideway G into a second chamber H in which is located a crucible I. The crucible I is,provided with a cover I which is cone shaped as illustrated and has an opening I at its center through which the copper flows into The chamber H is pro formed therein and out through the opening L into the ladle M at a point removed from the furnace gases which escape through the outlet K. I

It will be noted that the highest point of the conduit L is located at L? and the lowest point of the conduit is indicated at L, and by reason of this constructiona seal is effected in the crucible I which prevents the furnace gases generated in the chamber H from flowing through the opening I into chamber I? and out through the conduit L into the ladle, and or the further purpose of providing means whereby the expansion of the gases in the chamber 1* will prevent the gases in the chamber H from entering the said chamber for the purpose hereinafter more fully explained.

The chamber B is provided with a cover B which has an opening 13 through which the products of combustion generated in the chamber B may escape. The chamber H is provided with a cover H which is removed forthe purpose of placing the crucible I within the chamber H. In placing the crucible I in the chamber H, the conduit portion L is first arrangedparallel with the inside of. the wall H and the crucible is lowered to the bottom of the chamber in this position and afterward shoved under the spout 1G andthe conduit portion swung into position, so that the outlet nozzle L will project through the opening K as illustrated.

It will be noticed that a space indicated by Nis provided to permit the heated gases in the chamber H to circulate around the conduit L to keep the copper in a perfectly fused condition, so that it will flow readily to the ladle M.

Itwill be noticed that the lower end of the wall F, indicated by F, extends to a point even with or'below the point F so that a seal is provided by the copper between the chambers H and B to preventthe gases from flowing from one of said chambers to the other.

After thecopper has been placed in the chamber B the blow pipe D is operated and the blow pipe J is operated to thoroughly heat up the interior of the said chambersv her I within said crucible.

still remaining in the copper are forced out of same through the opening I in the cover and due to the expansion and tension of the heated gases within the chamber I the products of combustion in the chamber H are prevented from entering the said chamber I so that after the copper is freed from impurities, the copper may flow directly to the ladle M which is removed from the fur nace gases and is then ready for casting in a pure condltlon.

As an lllustration, we have described one construction by which it is possible to esfor the carrying out of our process. What We desire to point out and protect by securing 'Letters Patent is the discovery that certain established conditions as described by us, will cause the separation of molten copper from contaminating vapors, and deteriorating gases. The conditions being established, the separation of the molten copper from contaminating vapors, and deteriorating gases, occur as follows: The copper havlngbeen fused'and exposed to the action of the furnace gases in furnace compartment B, becomes contaminated with vapors, gaseous impurities and volatile substances. This molten contaminated copper flowing out of the fusing furnace compartment B, through the slphon conduit and spout G, flows from same through the chamber opening I, into the heated chamber I, and continues its flow through the said chamber and through and out of the siphon conduit L to the ladle, as previously described, the volatile impurities that contaminated the molten copper separate from the copper, as the copper enters the chamber I, the reason for this is that the chamber I, being in a highly heated state, the temperature being maintained above the meltin point of copper, contains a highly rarefie atmosphere of nitrogen, which repels by its heat the entrance of outside volatile substances, vapors, and gases.

Having thus described our invention we claim as new:

1. The process of fusin and purifying copper, consisting in first using the copper by the application of the direct action of the furnace gases, in one chamber, then leading the copper into another chamber and heatingsaidchamber and the copper therein-to a sufficient degree to expel the greater art of the remaining gaseous impurities w ile the metal-is protected from contact with the.

furnace gases used in the heating operation by a cover of inert gas, and then flowing the copper from saidsecond chamber.

2. The process of fusing and purifying copper consisting in first fusing the copper by the heat of and in contact with ooinbusti ble gases, then leading the copper from contact with said gases and beneath a cover of heated nitrogen gas and further heating the copper to gasify and drive off the remaming aseous impurities, thereby eliminating suchimpurities from the co per.

' In testimony whereo we afiix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

. WALTER S. ROCKEY.

HILLIARY ELDRIDGE. Witnesses:

FRANK M. ASHLEY, G. F. QUACKINBUSH. 

